


Complex

by magnetgirl



Category: New Amsterdam (TV 2018)
Genre: Everyone Needs A Hug, Hope Is Like The Sun, Iggy Frome Has a Saving People Thing, M/M, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:06:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21759544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magnetgirl/pseuds/magnetgirl
Summary: Martin wants Iggy to face some truths he might not be ready for.
Relationships: Iggy Frome/Martin McIntyre
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21
Collections: Yuletide 2019





	Complex

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hilandmum](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hilandmum/gifts).



> Hello! Merry yuletide, I hope you like this glimpse into the relationship between Iggy and Martin. I've set it after the episode in which Helen ropes them all into helping Max whether he wants it or not but before Iggy's reckless adoption shenanigans cause a rift in his marriage. This fic is heavily influenced by both situations, however, and is my take on where the show might be going with Iggy's issues. Thank you for the prompt, I enjoyed playing with these characters, Iggy is fascinating to me and I'm pulling for them to make it!!

Martin was worried. It had been good day. The kids all warmed to Luna, especially Harper, who found babies fascinating, and Sameera, whose instinct to parent anyone and everyone was so much like Iggy's. But Raffi and Sameen were just as taken, and they were all sympathetic to the loss of her mom. It could sometimes be a touchy subject, parents and loss and even moms, but it wasn't today. Luna was generally good natured and distractingly cute. The kids were charmed and Iggy was delighted. It was a good day, maybe a great one. 

Still, Martin was worried.

"Thank you." Max looked tired, and that worried Martin, too. And he knew it worried Iggy, and the rest of their colleagues, and that was why he'd offered up their Saturday for babysitting. Iggy said it had been a struggle to get Max to agree, that it had taken him and Helen days, practically an intervention. But grief was a process and one that left everyone weary. Max had every reason to be tired.

"Of course! Anytime." Iggy grinned as he said it. Iggy and Helen had every right to be worried and Martin imagined they'd agree he also had every right to be worried. He imagined it, but he didn't know it, and that worried him, too.

It was the way Iggy volunteered their time, _any_ time. Not that Martin didn't want to help Max or take care of Luna, he was happy to do both, just as he was happy to watch their own kids or go to hospital functions. It was just that Iggy gave so much away all the time. So much of himself and so much of his time and so much of their time - and sometimes Martin needed there to be a focus on the big picture. And he just wished Iggy understood that. And the way he said,

"I mean it. Anytime."

Well, Martin worried he did not understand.

Max left with Luna bundled into her snowsuit, arms out like a star. It wasn't snowing yet, but the air was crisp with it.

"Well." Iggy clapped his hands together and beamed at his husband. "I think that went really well."

Martin smiled. He pulled a bottle of red out of the cupboard over the laundry station. "It was a good day." 

"It _was_ ," Iggy agreed. Martin poured two glasses of wine and carried them into the living area. Iggy followed, bouncing with excitement. A kind of joie de vivre that was normally infectious but tonight, for whatever reason, or maybe for every reason, Martin was irritated.

"What are you doing?"

"Hm?" They sat, side by side on the sofa, facing the window, their view of the city still absent of snow. Iggy accepted a glass of wine, and frowned at Martin's expression of vague annoyance. "What?" Martin sat back with a sigh. "What do you, what do you mean?"

He took a sip, scrunched his nose over the rim of the glass. "What is this about?"

"Babysitting…?" Martin made a face. Iggy's frown deepened. "Uh, I, you know, I've been worried - we've all been worried, about Max." Martin nodded. "And Helen, she thought if we all pitched in and showed, if we gave Max some uh, you know if we showed him that he's not alone, that Luna's not alone, that he has - family."

Family is your foundation, Iggy liked to say, and Martin believed it. They'd built their own, and of course they should, all, extend the concept to Max and little Luna after their loss.

"Yes, I know, I get that, of course."

"Max needs support and care and I-"

"I know," Martin cut through the explanation. "Iggy. I know." His husband pursed his lips, looked a bit like a deer caught in the headlights. "And that's important." He placed his glass on the low table and reached for Iggy's hands, closed them in his own. "But I think - I think there is more to it and I want you to be honest with me about that."

"I don't… what do you mean?"

Martin took a breath. "I mean - and this is true for Helen, too - inserting yourself into Max and Luna's life is as much about _you_ as it is about Max or Luna."

Iggy blew air out over his teeth. "Well, every action anyone takes will relate back to their own circumstances and..."

He was using the 'Professor Frome' voice he'd cultivated for lectures and presentations to grant boards. Martin's fingers twitched, good thing he'd put down the wineglass or he'd be tempted to throw it. "Iggy, you are deliberately misunderstanding me."

"No, I… I'm not, I'm sorry." He looked flustered and troubled enough Martin believed him, but that wasn't a better outcome. "I just don't think that offering to babysit is evidence of some deep pathological … issue."

Martin pulled his hands away and pressed them to his eyes. After a moment he took another breath and straightened.

"Okay. Here. Let's uh, relax a moment." He motioned for Iggy to lean into the sofa. "Sit back. Drink."

"What are you…?"

"Sit. Back."

Iggy sat back.

"Drink."

Iggy sipped his wine. Martin nodded and clasped his hands.

"I want you to consider something. Some things."

"All right," Iggy agreed.

"All right," Martin echoed. He pulled out his own 'Professor' tone, cultivated for lectures and presentations. "One. Max Goodwin is grieving and needs support." He paused for agreement.

"Yes."

"Emotional support," Martin expounded. "And professional support, and..." He shrugged. "Casserole support. And babysitting."

"Yes," Iggy answered again. "That's what-"

Martin held a finger to lips. "My turn."

Iggy raised his hands in surrender. "Right. Sorry."

"Two," Martin continued. "Luna Goodwin is motherless." Iggy nodded. "And her father is overworked and overwhelmed-"

"Needs support."

"Needs support," Martin accepted, "And, is recently recovering from a life threatening illness." Iggy pursed his lips again. "In many ways Luna is another baby in need of parentin-"

Iggy shook his head with some vehemence. "No, I don't - I don't like where this is going. Luna isn't an - she, her," Stumbling over words was hallmark Iggy, but he seemed particularly distraught. Martin had touched a nerve. "Max is a good father who loves her very much and would do, he, she is not an orphan, at at-"

"No. She's not." Martin motioned for him to take another sip of wine, to relax. "But you want to take care of her. Because she's needy."

"I want-" Iggy sputtered and put the wine glass down before he dropped it. "Martin... I'm a... I _help people_..." 

"Yes, you do!" Martin grabbed his hands again. "You help a lot of people and you want to help a lot more and I love you for that but Iggy, you can't save everyone."

"Well, I-" It was Iggy's instinct to argue the point but he knew Martin wouldn't approve. "I can help Max and Luna."

"Yes, but you don't have to."

Iggy didn't have a response to that. It went against everything he knew about himself and he didn't like that his husband said it. Martin read it all on his face and was equally frustrated. He pulled their hands closer together.

"Look, I'm not angry." He flashed a quiet smile. "I had fun today. The kids had fun today, and it was good for them, and for Luna, and Max, and all of us." 

"It was," Iggy agreed, squeezing his hands. Why would that be wrong?

"It was good. This is good. But," he shook his head, "I need you to understand that it's not your responsibility to save everyone."

"You keep saying save."

Martin didn't answer. He turned to look out the window. The snow had started. Iggy followed his eyes.

"The world is - _dark_ , Martin." There was so much pain in his voice, pain he normally pushed down under a determinedly positive outlook and can-do attitude. "Luna's not an orphan but she could be. Max was in that accident, too. And yes, yes, he is a cancer survivor and that- what if it comes back?" His tone started to pitch upwards, sounding more upset with each word. "What if someone loses their house because of a hospital bill and they want someone to blame? What if there's a measles outbreak because some kid's mom doesn't believe in vaccines and Max-"

"Do you _hear yourself_?" Martin shouted.

Iggy blinked. Martin's anger - no, hurt - echoed off the walls, his face flushed in the low light.

"I thought I was agreeing with you."

Martin dropped forward, rubbed his face in his hands again, the sounds of the city filled the room as their silence grew. Finally, Martin raised his shoulders and reached for his glass.

"Okay," he said, meeting Iggy's eyes. "Just. Think about it."

"I will." He said it like a promise. A vow. "I love you. I love our family."

Martin reached a hand to his cheek.

"I know. Me too."

They sat back to watch the snowfall, their hands - and fears - entwined.


End file.
